I said recently, in this post, that I was going to take a long weekend off the Internet and then only use it minimally for thirty whole days. We're into the minimal bit now and even though I've done far more extreme digital detoxes in the past, for some reason, I always dread the first bit:
The withdrawal bit.
For some reason, I decided that I needed another film camera recently. The Reto Ultra Wide and Slim that I got last Christmas died after one roll of film, jamming another one inside itself and rendering itself utterly useless. So, obviously, I needed something new to take its place.
Whenever you do something in excess, do you find that you need to compensate by doing the exact opposite to the extreme? A binge and purge cycle of regret, shame, and misery? After spending the last few months being online a lot, I feel the need to go offline completely.
The run-up to Christmas is always stressful for us, isn't it? No matter whether we're going all-in, or just having a quiet one, it's always a time of stress, of overwhelm, of anxiety.
Many moons ago, I trained to be a journalist. I never actually went into the industry though, feeling jaded and assured that it wasn't really for me. Old habits die hard though, and I do consider myself to be a bit of a 'news addict'. Could it be time to change my ways for better mental health?
Since getting a Cocker Spaniel, I've realised that having the 'proper' tree up is a bit of a dangerous act. Flying spaniels and baubles probably don't mix. So, for the last couple of Christmases, we've had a small 4ft artificial tree with a handful of decorations that I made myself. Here's how to make your own decorations out of air dry and/or polymer clay (I've done both!)
